Progesterone Cream for Weight Loss: Does It Work?

July 17, 2020

Trying to slim down a few pounds or more? People gain weight due to a number of reasons for which hormone imbalances are a common culprit. When hormones are the problem, other weight loss methods seem ineffective. Many women and men are left disappointed because they feel nothing works for them enough to achieve desired body goals. Here's more to help you determine if you should be using a progesterone cream to help maintain your ideal body shape.

Since hormones play a role in weight management, we need to learn more about their functions. We have a multitude of hormones in the body, including progesterone. So, this post's main objective is to provide useful information about this hormone, especially if you consider using progesterone cream to lose weight. Does it work? Read on to learn more.

What does progesterone do?

Progesterone is a steroid hormone from the class of progestogens. In women, progesterone is produced by corpus luteum, a temporary endocrine structure in the ovaries. The hormone is also produced by the ovaries, placenta, and adrenal glands.  

In women, progesterone is important for menstrual cycle and fertility. It also helps maintain pregnancy. On the flip side, in men, progesterone is a precursor of testosterone. In other words, the male body can’t produce testosterone without progesterone.

Progesterone also has other roles in the body as it can contribute to sleep improvement, and it's necessary for overall quality of life, health, and wellbeing. 

Can progesterone cause weight loss?

Hormone levels play an important role in weight loss effort. Sometimes people try out different things to slim down, and none of them work. They end up losing confidence, thinking it's not meant to be, they'll keep gaining weight, and that's that. 

If you're dealing with this problem, you need to know that hormone makeup changes can lead to weight loss resistance, i.e., difficulty to slim down no matter what you try. 

For that reason, your weight loss strategy should include scheduling an appointment to see the doctor and getting your hormone levels tested. By correcting these imbalances, it will be easier for you to slim down naturally. Progesterone is an important hormone to balance because its role in weight loss is significant but widely underrated. 

How does progesterone help with weight loss? The mechanisms of action are numerous, and we're going to highlight them below. 

Here's how progesterone affects men.

Tackles estrogen dominance

Estrogen dominance is basically too much estrogen and little to no progesterone in the body. In other words, you can be estrogen dominant even when levels of this hormone are low if you also happen to have low progesterone. 

The lack of balance between estrogen and progesterone can induce a wide range of symptoms, including these:

• Bloating
• Swelling and tenderness of breasts
• Low sex drive
• Impaired menstrual cycle
• Increased symptoms of PMS
• Mood swings
• Headaches
• Anxiety and panic attacks
• Weight gain
• Hair loss
• Sleeping difficulties i.e., lack of sleep
• Fatigue
• Poor memory

As seen above, estrogen dominance leads to weight gain. High estrogen levels can make you put on a few pounds or more, especially around the hips and waist. As you already know, hips and waist are stubborn, and it's difficult to lose fat in that area.

Healthy progesterone leaves help avoid problems associated with excess estrogen. This is one of the most important mechanisms through which progesterone can help you slim down.

Normalized thyroid function

The thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland located low on the front of your neck. Thyroid hormones are crucial for metabolism and weight management, but they also have a wide range of other body functions. Low progesterone can hinder the production and functioning of thyroid hormones. 

One of the many symptoms of low thyroid levels is weight gain. Therefore, by balancing hormones such as progesterone, you also support thyroid function. So, if you've gained weight due to hypothyroidism (underactive thyroid), you'll be able to tackle this problem through the improved balance of the hormones. 

Decreased insulin levels

High insulin levels are associated with overweight and obesity. Unfortunately, the sedentary lifestyle and unhealthy habits impair blood sugar control and lead to insulin resistance, all of which results in disappointment when you step on the scale. Levels of insulin also rise due to estrogen dominance. 

Since progesterone is a natural diuretic, it stabilizes blood sugar levels. When the concentration of progesterone drops, your insulin levels go up. All this is manifested in your weight. By keeping progesterone within a normal range, you get to promote blood sugar stabilization and insulin sensitivity, thus supporting your weight loss efforts.

Anti-inflammatory potential

Inflammation is the body's process of fighting against harm, such as pathogens, bacteria, infections, and more. While acute inflammation is important for the immune system defenses, chronic or long-term inflammation is not and may lead to various problems. What many people don't know is that inflammation can lead to weight gain. 

One of the least talked about symptoms of estrogen dominance is inflammation. Estrogen has a protective role and can help the body resist inflammation, but only when it’s perfectly balanced. That’s why you need progesterone. By supporting normal serum progesterone levels, you address estrogen dominance and thereby tackle the inflammation it causes. As a result, you start losing weight.

Improved sleep 

We have become a sleep-deprived society. People go to bed late and night and get up very early, meaning their body doesn’t get an adequate amount of sleep to function. Sleep deprivation leads to stress i.e., higher cortisol levels. Ultimately, your physical and mental health suffers, and you end up gaining weight. 

Progesterone is a natural sleep aid thanks to its calming effect on the brain. On the flip side, estrogen has an excitatory effect on your brain. This is why women with severe estrogen dominance symptoms report serious sleep-related problems. It’s useful to mention that sleep deprivation disrupts the hormone that regulates your appetite – leptin. This explains why some people have sugar cravings, or they crave other unhealthy foods. Overeating ensues, followed by overweight or obesity. 

Reduced fluid retention

Lack of estrogen balance makes women deal with the uncomfortable fluid retention problem. Being natural diuretic progesterone can reduce swelling and bloating. When you establish a balance of these hormones, it’s easier to avoid water weight.

What hormone helps you lose weight?

Our overall health and wellbeing depend on the balance of hormones. If your estrogen is out of control or you have low testosterone and impaired other hormones, your weight is bound to suffer the consequences. 

Not only should you strive to keep your progesterone, estrogen, testosterone, and thyroid hormone levels in control, but you also need to pay attention to hormones directly tied to your appetite and hunger.

Leptin is a hormone made by the fat cells, and it decreases your appetite. Ghrelin is a hormone that increases your appetite and contributes to your weight. Levels of leptin tend to be lower when you’re thin and higher when you are overweight or obese.

Keeping these hormones in balance can help you avoid overeating and introducing too many calories to your body. 

Another hormone to watch out for is the stress hormone cortisol. When levels of cortisol increase, they can make you feel hungry or keep you eating even when the body is full due to their impact on leptin. 

Conclusion

Imbalances of hormones are the root cause of many problems affecting our bodies. Weight-related struggles are among those problems. Many people struggle to slim down only because they're not addressing the real issue – low progesterone or impaired levels of other hormones. 

When progesterone is low, it allows estrogen to become dominant. This leads to a chain of reactions that affect your physical and psychological health, but also make you gain weight. 

Progesterone creams help boost levels of this hormone in a natural way and thereby help you slim down more successfully. Natural creams are a better alternative because they help you experience all the results without dealing with adverse reactions. Keep in mind that a healthy lifestyle is crucial for the balance of your hormones.

References

https://www.hormone.org/your-health-and-hormones/glands-and-hormones-a-to-z/hormones/progesterone

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323280#symptoms

http://www.eatingwell.com/article/2058068/inflammation-might-be-the-reason-youre-not-losing-weight-here-are-5-things-you-can-do-about-it/#:~:text=Inflammation%20increases%20with%20weight%20gain.&text=A%202019%20study%20found%20that,until%20excess%20weight%20is%20lost.

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